G7 Ministers Adopt Youth Work Commitments: ILO

The International Labour Organization urged the G7 to advance concrete measures that improve youth access to employment, warning that persistent labor market gaps risk undermining long-term economic resilience. During a virtual G7 Labor and Employment Ministers’ Meeting hosted by Canada, Gilbert F. Houngbo, Director General, ILO called for coordinated action to equip young people for a rapidly changing world of work.

Houngbo welcomed G7 commitments to expand opportunities for young people and strengthen inclusive labor markets but noted that major challenges remain. One in five young people is currently not in education, employment or training, and two-thirds of this group are women. He underscored that youth unemployment in G7 countries remains 6.5% points higher than adult unemployment, a gap he described as a structural feature of labor markets.

In 2023, 20.4% of young people worldwide, or one in five, were classified as  not engaged in employment, education, or training (NEET), with a striking gender disparity. Two-thirds of these individuals were female, reflecting the ongoing barriers young women face in accessing education and employment opportunities. The global NEET rate for young women stood at 28.1% , more than double the rate for young men, which was 13.1%.

According to the OECD, 20% of young people in Mexico aged 15 to 29 are neither employed nor in education, which is notably higher than the 12.5% average across the other 34 countries in the organization.

While the global youth labor market has shown signs of improvement, the high NEET rates underscore persistent challenges in ensuring that young people can access opportunities that lead to stable, productive futures.

"None of us can look forward to a stable future when millions of young people around the world do not have decent work and are feeling insecure," says Houngbo.

Moreover, a large percentage of young workers are in informal employment, particularly in low-income countries, where three out of four young workers hold only self-employed or temporary paid jobs. In Mexico, 66.9% of young workers aged 15 to 29 are employed informally, compared to the overall informality rate of 55%, according to the National Occupation and Employment Survey (ENOE).

The communiqué issued by G7 ministers highlighted the need to tackle barriers to workforce entry, promote labor force participation and strengthen skill development to support economic growth. Ministers also reaffirmed a commitment to advancing opportunities for persons with disabilities and building resilience in the workforce as technological change accelerates.

Houngbo said that ensuring young people see credible pathways into the labor market is essential to maintaining social cohesion. He outlined three areas where G7 members could focus efforts including preparing youth for technological transformation, improving participation among youth with disabilities through targeted measures and stronger data, and addressing structural obstacles through youth guarantees, school-to-work transition systems and social protection.

Artificial intelligence was a central theme of the meeting. Ministers launched a compendium of best practices on human-centred AI in the workplace, developed with contributions from G7 members, the OECD and the ILO. The publication is intended to guide responsible adoption while supporting equitable access to emerging opportunities.

The ILO affirmed its readiness to support G7 governments as they implement strategies to ensure the future of work delivers decent work for all.